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Simple Things
Many people are starting to gear up for the Thanksgiving and Christmas season. There is a nearly tangible expectation in the air – in spite of the uncertainties making noise in our world. Others may even be dreading this time of year. It can definitely be a mixture of bitter and sweet. I have been thinking a lot about it, hoping the true foundations of the season will be the focus this year instead of the trappings. Oh, don’t get me wrong – I love to decorate and put up my lights as much as the next person. In fact, I told my sister yesterday that sometimes I still feel…
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Yesterdays & Tomorrows
None of us know our future – notta one of us. This is a strange pill for me to swallow, since I am a planner by design, by habit and even by profession. Rows and columns fill my days. However…there is this “other side” – the one that is an inveterate dreamer and desires to fly by the seat of my pants. Sometimes I indulge that side. It has reared its head recently. How I wish to embrace the wildness within. Are you with me? So I write today for those who feel stuck in the mud, or perhaps may have regrets about a hasty decision, or maybe neither of…
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Haven in my Heart
Driving out of DFW on a Friday afternoon is a cross between Kamikaze and Bumper Cars. Traffic moves at a hectic pace – and then suddenly comes to a skittering halt. Such it was when I headed out of “Dodge” on Friday afternoon. Thankfully, I was able to leave a little early so I wasn’t in the heat of the heaviest traffic. I was on my way to Haven… It’s funny how the things that mean the most sometimes cost the least – or least don’t necessarily wear fancy trappings. I find my friends Brad and Teffny to be one of the treasures of life…no doubt about that. I decided…
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Smells Like Home
I love it when I have time to play in the kitchen. Next to writing, I suppose it is my favorite pastime. Growing up in Michigan had its share of frosty days. There were times when the snow would drift, covering the lower half of the driveway, which curved like a horseshoe. That left only one way in and out. Mom referred to it as a “toboggan run”! For you Southern types, a toboggan is a sled. 🙂 During those sweater-wearing, scarf wrapping days, there were certain dinners Mom would make that would fill the house with the most tantalizing aromas. One was Hungarian Goulash. It is a savory dish…
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October & Cider
It is the season of harvest moons, crickets singing and leaves changing. Growing up in Michigan, it was also apple cider weather. The cider mills, particularly Goodison, was a wonderful jaunt on a Saturday afternoon. I was thrilled to see it is still open. If you are anywhere nearby, please go – it will not disappoint! It was about half an hour or so from the farm. Complete with winding roads, hills and splashes of color everywhere, the trip itself was beautiful. And then…to top it off, the cider mill was the destination! The fragrance of freshly pressed apples and sizzling cinnamon donuts filled the air. The donuts were small…
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Garden in my DNA
I’m Irish – peasant stock mostly, although my ancestors do have some “royal” blood. Not that it matters…mostly my lineage have been hard workers who persevered through difficulties and lived in honor. My Grandpa (Mom’s dad) was an avid gardener. Each year he and mom Mom would look through seed catalogues and pick out the varieties they wanted to plant in the coming season. That usually started in January when the weather outside would make even us northerners want to hibernate. Then, it was up to Dad to design and layout the garden. Being an accomplished draftsman, he did this flawlessly. The rows were straight and precise, the spacing perfect.…
